
# V £ 







LI BRARY OF CONGRE SS, 



| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,* 



THOROUGH DESCRIPTION 



OF THE 



BRAILLE SYSTE 



FOR THE 

READING AND WRITING OF MUSIC, 

ALSO ALL CHARACTERS OF THE 

ENGLISH, FRENCH AND GERMAN LANGUAGE, 
CIPHERING AND ALGEBRA. 

AS INTRODUCED IN THE 

MISSOURI INSTITUTION FOR THE EDUCATION OF THE BLIND IN 
ST. LOUIS. 



HEHRY ROB¥Mf, 

Professor of Music and the Braille system. Organist and Director of the clioir at the 

church of the Anunciation. Inventor of the five Type system and of the Robyn method 

of writing for the blind. Autlior of the musical Dictionary. Rudiments of music. 

Thorough bass, made easy. Practical Piano school. Advises and Rules. Ac. &C. 



ST. LOUIS. 

Printed by August Wiebuscu & Sox. 
18 6 7. 

2- 



'ft 




Entered according to Act of Congress A. D. 1866, by Henry Robyn in the 
Clerks office of the U. S. Court of the eastern district of Missouri. 



TO THE MEMORY 



VALENTIN HAUY, CHARLES BARBIER, 



AND 



LOUIS BRAILLE, 

THE BENEFACTORS OF THE BLIND, 

THIS BOOK 

IS A FEEBLE TESTIMONY OF STRONG REGARD AND 
SINCERE ADMIRATION. 



PREFACE. 



As it has given such universal satisfaction to all the pupils 
in the Institution for the Education of the Blind, that I have 
introduced the system of Braille, for reading and writing 
music, language and ciphering (adapting the same to the 
English and German language), and also for all Instruments, 
and having been asked so often to give explanation to 
teachers in other Institutions, I thought it of value to those, 
interested in the Education of the Blind, to prepare this 
little work with all necessary explanations and illustrations, 
particularly for music. It will be of great assistance to any 
one, connected with the blind as teacher, to study this valu- 
able Method oE reading and writing. For music, there is 
absolutely nothing, which can be compared with this system. 
Of the five different modes of reading music in raised type 
for the blind, with which I am acquainted, there is but one, 
which in any way could be compared to it in usefulness, 
but as the blind can not write that one themselves, it also 
stands far in the disadvantage. I mean namely the system 
of Mr. Guadet, in Paris. 

The blind are able to read and sing at the same time 
a piece of raised music ; on an Instrument it is different, 



VI 

as their hands are not able to read and play at once. 
Nevertheless raised music is of great value to them. During 
the last more than fifty years a great many different systems 
have been tried ; the following systems have been the most 
successful of all those, which have been in use in Europe 
and America. 

The first system tried by Valentine Hauy in the blind 
Institution in Paris, were the ordinary alphabetical Roman 
characters, he also availed himself of the musical signs used 
by seeing musicians. At the beginning very successful, yet 
his system was soon abandoned, for several reasons. The 
notes, rests, sharps, flats presented a great confusion to the 
fingers of the blind. They only could comprehend a few of 
these points and were unable to understand the practical utility 
of this system or even, with immense difficulty, be brought 
to comprehend the different lines of each bar, or the time 
and value of notes, the finger was obliged to hunt for 
notes, above and below the staff, and when the head of the 
note was found, it was then necessary to find the other end 
on account of their value ; in general this notation was soon 
abandoned, yet some tried for many years to retain it in 
instructing the blind. It became necessary to invent a plan, 
applicable only to the fingers, a system deprived of all 
complications, and composed of detached signs, easily de- 
tected by the toueh and ranged on one line only. 

Rousseau invented a system, which was introduced in 
the institution of the blind in Paris, said system is on the 
following plan: 



VII 

The twenty-five letters of the French alphabet are em- 
ployed, together with the vowels having accents appended to 
these five letters ; a is the lowest note, b the next &c. &c. 
There are thus thirty notes, a little over four octaves, they 
are however insufficient to represent all the notes employed 
in music. The first octave C, D, E, F, G, A, B is represented 
by a, b, c, d, e, f , g ; the second octave by h, i, j, k, 1, m, n, 
the third by o, p, q, r, s, t, u ; and the fourth by v, x, y, z, 
a, e, 1. The signatures at the beginning of a piece of music, 
are represented by d between parentheses — thus, (a?) for the 
sharp, (b) for the flat and (") for the natural. The key 
of E-major will be marked (4 c?), the key of^D-flat-major 
(5 6). The time of a composition is marked by figures; 
2 / 4 time by a 2, and 3 / 4 time by 3, &c. 

The value of the notes is known by the division of the 
measure, and by the space allowed between each subdivision. 
The rests are marked thus : a whole measure rest, 1 ; a half 
measure, 2 ; a quarter 3. 

Chords are marked by an apostrophe placed between 
these notes : a' c' e\ 

The slur is marked by a line of union; thus a — |, 
be - d |, e — f — gh|. 

The fingering is expressed by the first five cyphers, 
reversed and placed before the notes. 

GUADET'S system. In this system no clefs are used, 
the seven notes are expressed by the letters : a, e, i, o, 
u, v, x ; the octave is known by the numbers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 
5, 6, 7 ; C in seven octaves is written thus: la, 2a, 3a, 



VIII 

4a, 5a, 6a, 7a. If! several notes belong to the same octave, 
the cypher is only written to the first note. 

The value of the notes is indicated by these characters 
placed over italic letters ; thus c in all its value : a, «, a, a. 

The sharps and flats are written as in the musical 
notation of the seeing. 

To indicate chords, the notes, which form the chord, 
are placed between parentheses. Example : df, a quarter, 
is written (eo). 

MAHONY'S system. The object of his plan was, to 
simplify the method of printing music in the raised characters 
for the blind, by substituting the letters, by which the notes 
are known (in English) for the notes themselves, the value 
of each note, being designated by affixing to the letter the 
usual signs of quarters, eights &c. 

The sharp, flat and natural are, as in common music. 

Instead of five paralell lines, for the staff, there is 
but one line in this system. 

The music is compressed into a smaller space, than in 
the ordinary system, first used in Paris and yet used in 
some Institutions in this Country. 

The great disadvantage of all these systems' is : the 

BLIND CAN NOT WRITE ANY OF THEM THEMSELVES. 

HENRY ROBYN. 



JP^ 



FOR, 



Writing, Cyphering aKd]||u8ic, 

FOR THE BLIND, 
of Prof. L. BRAILLE, 

OF PARIS. 




> i 



• • • 

• • • 



INTERPUNCTUATIONS 



?!().«*"'- 



• • •- •• 

• • • • • • 



• • • - - • • • 

• • •• •- •• 



• • •• 



"R. .-8 . SAu'ttw fc. Co .li&k . 



THE BRAILLE SYSTEM. 



T 



he apparatus on which the characters are made (by hand), 
consists of a metallic slate, with grooves, size 10 by 7 inches, 
with a wooden frame, screwed on the upper part of the slate, 
on each side of the frame (which can be raised from the slate, 
to put the paper between), there are 11 holes, in 'which the 
sliding ruler is placed ; there are two lines of oblong squares 
in the ruler and in each line 25 places to make the characters; 
the "style" or pencil is about 3 niches long, consisting of 
wood with a piece of wire fastened in the lower part, with this 
the paper (which is put on the grooves of the slate) is pressed 
and of course raised, so that, when taken from the slate, the 
blind are able to feel thejnarks ; the different characters are 
made by the dots in the different corners and in the middle of 
the oblong squares in the ruler. 

As the blind should do everything systematically, it will 
be of great value to them, to make the letters in the fol- 
lowing order : 

EXPLANATION OF WRITING THE ENG- 
LISH LANGUAGE. 

A the upper right corner, 

B upper and middle right, 

G upper right and left, 

D upper right, upper and middle left, 

E upper right and middle left, 

F upper left, upper and middle right, 



— 10 — 

G upper right and left, middle left and right, 

H upper and middle right and middle left, 

I upper left and middle right, 

J upper and middle left and middle right, 

K upper and lower right, 

L upper, middle and lower right, 

M upper left, upper and lower right, 

N upper right, upper and middle left and lower right, 

upper right, middle left and lower right, 

P upper left, upper, middle and lower right, 

Q upper left, upper, middle and lower right and middle 

left, 
R upper, middle and lower right and middle left, 

5 upper left and middle and lower right, 

T upper and middle left, middle and lower right, 

U upper and lower right and lower left, 

V upper, middle and lower right and lower left, 

W upper right and left, lower left and right, 

X upper right, upper, middle and lower left and lower 

right, 

Y upper right, middle andjower left and lower right, 

Z upper left, upper, middle and lower right and lower 

left, 

6 upper right, upper, middle and lower left, lower and 

middle right. 



i 



u 



11 — 



SIGNS FOR THE ENGLISH ALPHABET. 



ABCDEFGH I J 

# 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9> 

9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9> 



K L M N P Q R S T 

9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 

9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 



U V W X Y Z k and Sign of No. 

9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 

9 9 9 9 9 9 9 

9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 



13 — 



2)eiitf4e* W, 8, C 



31 


S3 


(5 


3) 


<g 




@ 


§ 





# 


# » 





# 













» 




* 





« 














8 


8 


M 


91 


D 


f 


a 


91 


© 


s 


^ 











» 





» * 





















# 





p ^ 


p 








^ 

















^ 












25 


as 


x 


9 


3 


& 1Mb a 


b 


it 





^ # 


































#0 #0 























00 00 









— 15 — 



L'ALPHABET FRANCAIS. 



ABCDEFGHIJ 

• # 





KLMNOPQ RS T 

0*0 





U V X Y Z C Eoin A E Uien 







A,an E,in J,on 6,un tf,eu E,ou J,oi U,ch Oe,gn U,ll 

• 





I,ian Ae,ien 0,ion 









— 17 — 

INTERPUNCTUATIONS. 

(Made on second and third lines.) 



? ! 



„ 



* " ' 



o-eee>8»9 » m 000 
00 00000 



FIGURES. 

(Made on first and second lines.) 



3 4 5 6 7 8 



00 00 00 00 

0000 




00 



18 



000 00 

thus 9 or 

00 0000 



=~ a 



+ 



SIGNS FOR ALGEBRA. 



x + = ( ) v'" > < 



0000000 

00 00000000 00 

0-0000 0000000 00 



(2) 



— 19 — 

CHARACTERS FOR MUSIC, 



NOTES 

and their 

VALUES. 



C D E F G A B 

- - ~ - * 



1/ or ^ 



# # # - - - - q 

- - - ~ # | 0r ^ 
- - - - - #- #- • 



- - - - 
-0-0 - 00 00 



00 o or 5 



- 



- * - • p 5 
- - - 00 00 - 00 i or ^ 

- - - - - - - *> 



1st 8va. 2nd 8va. 3rd 8va. 4th 8va. 5th 8va. 6th 8va. 7th 8va„ 



Different 
Octaves. 



- 

- 

- 



- 



Rests and < 
Accidentals. 



w 3 -■ •? ? 5 



# # 







- 







~ 
- 
- 



Intervals 
in Chords. 



2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th Octave 



- - - 
— _ 

- 00 00 



- 





— 20 — 



Fingering. 



1st 


2nd 


3rd 


4th 


X 


— 


with 


- 


- 


- 


— 


- 





- 





- 


- 


- 


— 


n ~ 


- 



Words 



P I 



- 



Triplets 

- 



It 



stacc. 



dot double dot 




- 




- 








- 




0-0 



-00 





0.-0 
-00 



0-0 
0-0 
-00 



I roll 

> 

0-0 
0-0 







-00 















Press & Types for printing tbe 
invented by Prof. H. Robyn. 







w 



•: 



y 






X 

V 



4r 


A3 


in 


1 


:: 


$. 


• 

• 


.: 


q 


2* 


£ 


t 


•• 


• 


• 


• 


•• 


• • 


• 


• • 


• 


• 


• 


• 


— 


• 


if numbers 






CHARACTERS FOR MUSIC 

(EXPLAINED.) 
C D E F G A B 

- - - - 

- - - - 

The notes in the different octaves receive the 
following dot or dots, which are placed before them. 

The note C in seven different octaves : 

-000 -000 -000 00 -000 00 09 

- o - 9 -0-0 -0-0 -0-0 

_ 



The different clef's in music are not used in this 
system. 

The G on the second line in the treble, which in- 
dicates the treble clef, receives the following dot : 



The F on the 4th line in the bass, which in- 
dicates the bass clef, receives the following dots : 



-000 

-000 



gt- 



:t:: 



22 — 



The signs of the octaves are used as follows : 
In a succession of seconds or thirds, the 8va sign 
is not made, but always, when the distance is a sixth 
or seventh; in successions of fourths or fifths, the 
octave sign is marked, when such note is in an other 
octave. 

The octave sign is not independent of the note. 



^ SEr -^-l— £ 



t— t 




ABOUT THE VALUE OF THE NOTES. 



The whole measure note (semibrave) is marked 
by two dots under the note, placed on the third line. 
Thus C a whole note : 



9 9 
- 9 
9 9 



i 



The half note (minim) by one dot on the left of 
the 3rd line under the note. 



Thus D a half note : 



9 - 
- 9- 
# - 



m 



— 23 



The quarter note (crotchet) by one dot on the 
right of the 3rd line under the note. 
Thus E a quarter note : 



9 

- 
- 



The eights (quavers) without a dot. 
Thus F an eight note : 








=Z 



The 16ths, 32nds, 64ths and 128ths are made like 
the wholes, halves, quarters and eights : 



^ 



:9 > — a 



fee 



0- 0-0 

0-0 -00-00 

- - 



0- 00-0 

- - - -00000 
0-0-0 



A dotted note is marked by a dot on the 3rd 
line after the note. 

Thus C a dotted quarter : 



0- 
- - 
-00 



A double dotted note ; by two dots on the 2ml 
and 3rd line after the note. 

Thus C a double dotted half note : 



0- 
-90 
0-0 



— 24 — 

The sign for triplets is marked previous to the 
notes, as follows : 

c, d ? e triplet eights 



- - 9 

- - 





0~^W 



=5*== 



ABOUT THE RESTS. 



A whole measure or 16th rest : 





A half measure or 32nd rest 



A quarter or 64th rest: 



• - — ? — f 

W- 



An eight or 128th rest : 

* 





25 — 



The time of a Composition is marked at the be- 
ginning, with numbers (of the Braille system), which 
are required to express the same. 



-000 „ 

Common time E -0-0 %■ 



-000 — 

- — 00 



-At 

"* 

~ -0 o -0 0- -000-- 

i -#•-** & -0--0- g -00-0- 

* 00 TT 00 — 00 " 00 — 00 

00-0- . 



* .; 







A free space or the end of a line, signifies the 
end of a measure ; if at the end of a line the measure 

is not finished, the sign of the 4th octave - * is used 
as connection. 

The accidentals are made as follows : 

'* b a 

- & - 00 

a natural - - , a flat # - , a sharp - - , 
- - - 



a double sharp 
0000 


•x. 

0000 

-0-0 


a double flat 

£ 


- - 

- - . 

-0-0 

> 1 


C sharp « 

- — 


■ =g=> 


D flat - - 

- - 


:i ^= 


C natural 


0-00 



~ — 


Wm- 




C double sharp 


000000 



-0-0 — 


-*£»• — > 




C double flat 


0-0-00 
0-9 — 
-0-0 — 


djfc£=. 





— 26 — 



The signatures at the clef, at the beginning of a 
piece, are made before the signs, which signify the 
time of a piece : 






-000 

— _ 9 9 

- 



When the number of sharps or flats exceed three, 
then only one is marked, and the balance expressed 
by a number : 



t 



0-0 -0-0 





nyi|f 



-00 — 





k=T=~k 



t§ z Jzi=E3=!£^l~^j^lzi!:z^zi 



- - - - - - -0000- -00-0- 
- - - - - _ -0-00- -0-00- 
- -0-0 -0-0-0 00 00 



^gl^l 



-0000- 
-00-0- 




The following signs are expressed thus 
a turn >»....„.. 




- 



a grace note f 



27 — 



a trill or shake tr or ^ * * 

- 



a repeat *-^ 








a staccato ' • - 




a slur or tie - — - 

All these signs are placed before the notes. 



The expression is indicated by the first letter or 
letters of the Italian word, after a dot in the upper 
left corner, followed by a dot in the lower left 
corner : 

0-00 

Forte or F - - 

- 

0-00 — 

Piano or P - -.# 

— - - 

0-0-00 — 
Rinforzando or Rf --000 

— # - 

0-000 

Crescendo or cres- -00-- 

- 9 - 

0-000-0 

Dolce or dol. 0-00 

_ _ _ 

The first note which follows any of these words, 
must have on octave mark. 



a double bar 1|= — is made 

a repeat of a part — :W 



- - 

— ._ 

- - 

% 

— — 

— - - 

— -00- 



— 28 — 
a pause or the end of a piece ^ 
Dal Segno D. S- 5S 
Da Capo D C. 



- - 
- - 
-00- 

0-0 

- 

-00 



0-00-00- 



p p 



Right Hand R. H. ' o - - I # - 

- 0-0 - 

Left Hand L- H. - - » - - - # - - 

- - » - # • - 



When several notes are sounded together (as in 
a chord), they are then written as follows : 

For the left hand (on the Piano) the lower note 
is written as usual; the other intervals are ex- 
pressed by the following signs. 



2nd - - 3rd - - 
- 00 


4th 


- 

- 


A 
— — 


5th - 

- 

1 


6th -0 




7th octave - - 
— 00 

! 1 

pe 3 3 - 











For the right hand the upper note of a chord is 
written, and the other notes are expressed by the 
above interval signs and counted downwards. 



— 29 — 
For the right hand E ; C 

C, G, E, C 



0-0 







0-0 

-0-0-0 



$ 



For the left hand G, E 





0-0 




C, E, G 



0-0- 

- 

9 



m 



at 



If an interval in a chord should exceed the octave, 
then the sign of the octave must be put before the in- 
terval sign. 

For the left hand C, G, E 





0-0-0-0 

0-00 • 



For the right hand B, F, D, G 

Hi 



-0-0-0 

00-0-0-0 

- 



For Violoncello the, lower note is written and the 
others marked by the interval signs. 



— 30 — 



Violoncello. 



T"£ 



3y=# 



s 



£= 



0- 



-00 ~ g * * * 0-00- 00-0 

—00-00 -000 00 00 0-0-0 

- - 0- 



$1 



0- 






mmmm 



— 00 — 







-0-0 00 00-0-0 

00-0-0-0-0000-- 

0-0 0-00 



For Violin, the upper note is written and the 
others made by interval signs. 



Violin. 



* 



*=£ 



-0 — *- — 0- 

-0 1 0- 






0000-000- 

e> 

-0-000 



0-00 00-0 00-000- 

-00 00-000 00 



m^m 



W=0 






0-0 

000-0-0-0 0-0-0 

-00 



If a chord is dotted, the dot is placed after the 
note; all intervals have then the same value as the 
note. 

C, G ? E a dotted eight 





- 

0-000- 



m 



— 31 — 

When a note, which is expressed by an interval, 
is changed by a flat, sharp or natural, the accidental 
is put before the interval sign. 

Chord of E-flat. ■ Eb, GL Bb and Eb. 



9 9-00 

9 00 

_ 0-00 000 



mm 



When the. notes in a chord have not the same 
value, the longest are written first, then the sign 



with 



and after that the shorter notes. 



E^ 



* J V* J 



3 — * 



-000 000-000-00-9 999-9 

-9-9 99 99 999- - - 09 



& 



09-99-99-999-9-0000 0-0 

-0-0000 0-0-0-0-00-000 

-09 09 9 9 00 



1 9 1 



-9-9-9-9999-99 
-99-9 



— 32 — 



When one or more measures or parts of measures 
are repeated, the following sign is used for every 

measure or part of such 











-0000-00 

— _ _ _ 

- 



P~ 



v^ 3 










0-000 









~&=£^ 



=t=* 



=:S=zt: 











— 

0-0 00-0-000 00 






0-0-0 00 










0-0 



-00 



When several measures of a part are repeated, the fol- 
lowing signs are placed after the passage ; when after eight 
measures the first four are repeated, the number eight is 
marked first and then the number four, that is to say, count 
eight measures back and repeat the first four. 



-00 000 

-000-0-0 




or cou 



nt back four and repeat three 



-000-000 

-0-0-0 

— — 



— 33 — 



*EE^E?EE3E£^E?EE>: 









-00 

-00-00 




000000000 

0- 

9 



0-000000 
000-0-0- 



mi=mmm=3=^m= 



-00 

-00-00 




0-0 

0-00 0000 










:f-f: 






iBffgE 



$=£££ 



000-0-0- 
00-0-0-0 



0- 00 

- - 0J0 - 



-000-000 

-0-0-0 





ep=^^t= 






0-0-000-0 0000-0 -000-000 

0-000 0000 -00 0000 -0-0-0 

0-0000 000000 00 00 



m 



-.ft 



0-00 

0-0 0-0 

O -00 



wmm 



0000-000 — 

-00 0-0 

0-0 -00 



(3) 



— 34 — 

If a piece is to commence from the beginning the 
„Da Capo" sign is made and after that, the number of 
measures, which are to be repeated. 

0-00-00- -00-00 

-000 

- 

Da Capo, eight measures, or repeat the first eight 
measures. 

The value of the notes is marked after the notes 
in the following cases : 

r Q * + - H 000- 

C half a note p jjw , g — made to 8ths - # # - 

C half a note titezzErf?-— - made to 16ths -00- 



$m 



C half a note tTfc p — made to 32nds - • • 



C half a note : p — made to 64ths - # - - 



When many notes of the same value follow each 

other, the following signs are made, previous to the 

notes ; in such case all notes are written like eighth 

notes : 

00-00- 



for< 


3 many quarters 

- 


» 


00-00- 

„ eighths # - 

- 


3? 


00-00- 

„ sixteenths # - 

- — * - 



— 35 — 

0-0 

before many 32nds # - 

- 

0-00- 

„ „ 64ths 

- - 

If notes are written in this way, the dots under the 
notes can be taken for the different octaves. 

The first octave is then expressed by the free 
space under the note. 

The second octave by a dot under the left 

The third octave by two dots under the note - - 



The fourth octave by a dot under the right 

- 

Care must be taken, to put before such passages 

% 

this - - priveous to the common octave mark in 

which the octave begins and followed by one of these 

- - 

signs which signify the quarters - - eighths - • 

16ths - • 32nds - * or 64ths - - . 

- # — - 

When, in such passages, a single note occurs of 
a different value, then the sign which indicates its 
value, must be placed after it ; the passage continues 
the same, as if no interruption had taken place, until 
a sign of the octave signifies the end. 

In case such passages are written with fingering, 
then the value of the notes (which is written after 
the notes) is doubled, to prevent confusion with the 
fingering. 



% m 



— 36 — ' 

When groups of four sixteenths appear, the first 
only is marked, the other three are written like 
eighths, also in 3 /s time, when six sixteenths fill a 
measure. 



■*~ 



*£££==£*--*- 






p £ -— — F Fg : 



- # P -0090-90009-9*900 

-00-00 0-00-00000 P 

P -, -000 00 



0:0.- 



2ffiE= 



- P P -0000-00000-00 

- 0-00-00000- 

-000 



In 32nds the first of a group of four or eight has 
the value marked, the others are written like eighths* 



**--—# 



-00 0-0 0000-00000-00 

-00-00 -000-000-0-0 0-0-0 

- 



.0-0. 
4—1- 



0*-T-0 






0-00000 — 000 

-00-00000-00 





If more than four notes are slured together, the 
slurs mark is made twice ; namely, between the first 
and second note and once before the last one. Staccato 
or demi-staccato expressed the same way. 



— 37 — 



:t= 






^=S 



_ _ 0-00 



- 



$ 



0-t 



s^ese 



0000000-00000 0-00000 

- _ 00-00000-00 



i 






0-00 

0-0-0-00000- 

0-0 00 00 00 0-0 



i 



• — 0- 



»-0 



•^ 



000-00000-0000 01- 

0-0 0-00-0000000-0 - 

10 






ts* 



— 0-00 — 00 

0-0 0-00 






0-0000 00000-000-0000 00 

0-0-0-00-00 0-0 0-00 - 

00 0^ 



— 38 — 

If two measures are the same, the second is ex- 
pressed by this sign # # 



:^b^- izz 



W^W 



p* 



-0000-000- — 

-0-0000.-00 00 

- 00 



If two measures are repeated, is is maked 



-00 

thus - 



m 



_._p> 



m 



:|g=P^l 



-000 0Z0 - -0-00-0- -00 

-0-00-00 -000-000 -00 

_ 00- 



If four measures are the same 4 they are written 
as follows. 



m=w^g^mm 



-00- 
-00- 

00 — 



- 00 

Any number of measures can be written in the 
same manner. 



The Time or Metronom, as written over some 
compositions, is expressed as follows. 

(M. M. or Metzels Metronom > = 116) 



00 00-0-00 

00 - 



— 39 



Metronom J 



80 



9 9 9 

9 9-- 9 9 9 9 

9-999999 



Metronom J — 60 



9 9 9-9 

9 9-99 



When a chord is rolled or sprincled (arpeggio) 



, the following sign is put before such chord 



9-9 



<-9 

-•f — I 
<-9- 



9 - 9 - 9 - 
9 - 9 - 9 - 
- 9 -9 



-999-9 - 9 

9 9-9-9 

-9-99999 9 9 



9-999-99 

Ped. --0--O-O-- 
— * 9 



9 

9 

-99 



When groups of notes 6, 7, 11 or any uneven 
number follow each other to form a part of a measure 
they are then written as follows. 



i 



m? 



9-9 9999999999-99-999-9 

9-999 9 - 

9-9 999 



i: 



iHS 



9-9 999 



40 — 



i 




— _ 

-000 

- 



When many grace notes follow each other (or as 
in a Cadence), the sign for a grace-note is made twice 
and then once before the last note ; if the value of 
such notes is the same, only the first note has the 
real value marked and the balance are made like 
eighths. 



% 



i^sa^ra 



9-9 999 99 9 9 9 9 9 9 -9 9 9 9 - 9 9 999-9 9999-99999- -0 

9-9 0--0-0--0 0-0-00 00-0000--00000- 

■±00 0-0 0-0 

» 

, 0. 



j==fee 



3±ztefctfaf=fc: 



0-00000--0 0-0 0-O0--00--000 00-0-00 

-9 9 9 9-9 9 --9 -99-00-0- -0 0- 



— 41 — 

ABOUT STEIM-INSTRUMENTS. 

The strings, positions, bowing, harmonics &c. 
are written as follows. 

0- 

First string second string 

_ 9 — 

0- 

third string - - # - fourth string 

-00- 

for Violin, Violoncello or Double-bass 





— 

- - 

0- 





-00 



open string 
for Guitar the 5th and 6 th strings 





-00 



open string 



00- 
— 

-00 
0- 

-00 



The different positions on string instruments are 
as follows : 



first position 


- 


9-0 
f - 

- - 


second do. 


- * 


9-0 




- 


- - 


third do. 


- i 


f - 




- 


- 


fourth do. 


- i 


9-0 
9-0 




■ 


-00 


fifth do. 


- i 


9 - 




- 


- - 


sixth do. 


■ 


9-0 

- 



(4) 





— 


42 — 




seventh position 




- 

-000 




eighth 


do. 




- 

- 

0-00 


ninth 


do. 




- * 

- 

0-000- 


tenth 


do. 




- 

- 

0-0000 


half 


do. 




- -10 - 

-0-0 

- - - 


down bow 








-00- 


up bow 






- - 

- - 
- 


tremolo 






- - 



- 


harmonic 










-00- 


thumb 






- - 
- 


thumb on 


the 1st string 


- - 
- 


do. „ 


„ 2nd 


5? 


- - 

- 

- 


do. „ 


„ 3th 


?? 


- - 

- 

-00- 


do. „ 


„ 4th 


?? 




9 - 

- 


harmonic 


in the same position 


0-0 



-00- 


thumb, and same position 






-00- 



43 — 



All these and other signs are placed before the 
notes, except the fingering, which is placed after the 
notes and is made as follows : 

German and French fingering 



1st finger 


- 


2nd do, 






3rd do. 







4th do. 





5th do. 



9 



The English fingering is marked as follows 
Thumb X - - 







- 


1st finger 


1 


- 


2nd do. 


2 


- 
- 


3rd do. 


3 


- 
- 
- 


4th do. 


4 


- 



— 44 — 



_XJ +■- X] 



.p.. 

x.- 



w^m 





- 0-00 - 

-00 0-0 00-0 



0-0 



-00 



m 



3 2 1 XI 



t 0.-0=07. 

±~ — 1 h- 



0000-000-000-000- 0-0-0-0-0-0-0- 

-00-0-0-0 

_ _ 



i 



3 2 1 XI 
Zft 0. 



0-0-0-0-0 0- 



0-0 



-00 



— 45 



EXPLANATION OF CHARACTERS USED 
IN THOROUGH BASE. 



The notes are written as before explained. The 
ciphers above the notes are expressed by interval 
signs. 

Thus a common chord 



m 



- 
-0-0 

- 9 0'0 



The chord of the sixth 



m? 



-000 — 

-00 

-00000 



The chord of the fourth sixth - 9- : — — — -090-0-0 

L -0000000 



fel 



The chord of the seventh : 9 : — 



-0900 

-0-09-00 
-000-0 



When two different chords are taken on the same 
base note, a slur mark is placed between them : 



U 



thus 9 : — 



0-0- 00-0 

0-0 0-0 





When an interval is raised by an accidental, the 
same is also placed before the interval sign : 



thus 



^=^= 



00 

000-000 



When a sharp is placed over a note to indicate 
the raised third, the character for sharp is placed 
after the note, and the fourth finger mark put after 
the sharp, to avoid confusion with the next note : 

thus :§)l==i^===z: 



00-00- 

0-0 — 
000-0- 



— 46 — 



When a sharp (which indicates the raised third) 
and a cipher, are placed over a note, the mark of the 
fourth finger is placed between the sharp and the 
interval : 



thus ^ 



-00-00 

-0-0 — 0-000 

-000-0-0 



The interval of the ninth is made by an octave 
followed by a second : 



thus p£ 



&- 



or 





0-0 

0- 



0-00 

090-9990- 



When the base note changes and the same chord 
is to be retained (which is written in common music 
by small lines), a double slur mark is made after the 
interval signs r 



thus 



P=£ 



¥- 



9 00000000 

0-0-0-0 -* * 

0-0-00 0Z- 



m 



-i e 



a 



■&■- 



0-9 -000 00--0000 0--0 000-0-- 

0- 00 -0-0 0-0-0 -0-0 

-00 00-000 0000-0000-00 0000000 0000 



££* 



U 





9 0-0 

•0-000 0000 



9 0-0 

0-0 00-0-0 *> 

-0000- 00000 00 



47 — 



6 9 8 




- M 



9 0-0- » 090 

0-9-0 -0-0 0--0-0 0-00 

-0000-00 000000 



& 



- 0*- 0-0 

-00- - - 
- -09 



In the foregoing work it has been my endeavor to unite 
briefness with instruction ; should I not have been successful 
in this respect, I shall jet have the satisfaction, that I have 
made the student acquainted to some degree with this new 
branch of science ; if his labor of studying was great, I do 
not doubt that his reward which he may gain from it, will be 
still greater. 

I hope, that all those who have made themselves familiar 
with the various points explained, will not rest, until by un- 
remitted attention the whole is clear and entirely understood, 
and only then the practical result will no doubt give the 
desired satisfaction. 





ERRATAS, 










Page 13, read 


: H * instead of 




* 



„ 17, „ 


» - 

0- 


» 0- 

- 


„23&24,„ 


eighth „ „ 


eight 


>> 35, „ 

„ 36, „ 


previous „ ,. 
slur & slurred „ „ 


priveous 
slurs & slured 


38, „ 


it is marked „ „ 


is is maked 


„ 39, „ 


sprinkled „ „ 


sprincled 



TO THE 



TRUSTEES, PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS 



OF 



(*X% 4 ♦ 



YmA JUglnm$ t 



TO THE FRIENDS OF THE BLIND GENERALLY. 



ANY INFORMATION IN REGARD TO THE 

BEAILLE SYSTEM 

CAN BE HAD BY ADDRESSING 

HENRY ROBYN, St. Louis, Mo. 



Saint louisi j 

T. KLUENDER, PRINT., COR. 3d Atfb CHESNUT. 

1866. 



OPINIONS 

OF 

BLIND TEACHERS AND PUPILS 

IN REGARD TO THE 

BRAILLE SYSTEM. 



St. Louis, November, 1862. 
Many methods have been devised of which the blind are enabled to 
commit their thoughts to paper, and each has its merits ; but in my opinion, 
none possesses as many advantages as the Braille; one of the most at- 
tractive features of this system is its simplicity; a child of ordinary capa- 
city may acquire the alphabet with a few hours study; in music this 
system is invaluable, it is in fact the only practical one ever adopted, by 
which we can write music. When its merits are fully appreciated, it will 
mdoubtedly superceed every other system. 

DANIEL WILKINSON, 

Music Teacher. 

St. Louis, November, 1862. 
I read Boston and Philadelphia type ; consider the first easier ; for new 
beginners the Braille has decidedly the preference; my wish is to take 
away Boston and Phila., and introduce Braille alone. I use the Braille 
in my arithmetic lessons altogether. I have printed an Etymology, Gram- 
mar, Arithmetic and Physical Geography, none of the other types can be 
compared with the Braille, we can print our own books and make our- 
selves independent. ANNA ZAPMANN, 

Ass't. Teacher. 

I learned the Philadelphia and Boston type ; practiced it one session ; can 
not read either as good as the Braille which / learned in less than a week; 
Poston and Philadelphia cannot be compared with the Braille in useful- 
ness, because we can read and write it, in fact tve can do by mea?is of the 
Braille Type as much as a seeing pertcn Since I have the Braille I 
never read the other types any more JACOB WOOLIVER, 

Teacher. 



Of the Boston and Philadelphia type I prefer the first, I have been read- 
ing it over ten years; the Braille about three vears, learned the alphabet 
in an hour, the Boston type in about a week ; the great advantage the 
Braille has over all other systems is that we can print it ourselves, either 
reading, music, or cyphering. If one system only could be obtained, I 
would first give up the Philadelphia, than the Boston', and I rather give up 
anything else I have learned than the Braille by which means I could soon 
obtain everything of interest to me; my wish is that all books would be 
made in the Braille type. ANNA ORUDIS, Ass't Teacher 

St. Louis, December, 1862. 
Having given the Braille system of writing a thorough trial, I am pre- 
pared to give it the preference to any method I have yet tried In the first 
place, a pupil with ordinary capacity can learn it in three or four lessons, 
they can write with greater facility, and as they aie able to read what 
they have written, they can correct their mistakes. This system has also 
another advantage over all others : the teacher dictating a lesson to a 
class, each scholar will have a copy of the lesson which they learn out of 
the recitation hours, and by this means only, the blind have equal op- 
portu?iity to gain knowledge zoith seeing pupils. 

LIZZIE HAUCK, Teacher. 

St. Louis, December, 1862. 
I believe the Braille is by far better than all other types, for I am 
convinced the Blind can learn to read it much more easily than they can 
either of the others, besides there are many who can not learn to read 
the other types. I am one of that number, but / can read, the Braille 
with facility, and I use it some in teaching, and if we had a library of 
all the text books used in common and high schools, then a blind teacher 
rvould be on an equal footing with a seeing one. 

L ANGLE Y, Teacher. 

My opinion is that it would be a benefit to the pupils to have the Braille 
■system alone in use, and do away with all other systems. I know the 
Boston and Philadelphia type, and also know its difficulties. 

BETTY CARTRIGHT, Music Teacher. 

I have been in the Missouri Institute over two years*, I never learned to 
read, because I could, not feel the letters, but when I commenced the 
Braille, / had no trouble; I learned the Alphabet in the first lesson; can 
read it with good facility, particularly music. 

JEFFERSON CHOUT. 

If 1 had to learn reading again I would prefer the Braille type, it took 
me about a week to learn the Braille alphabet, while the Boston an 1 
Philadelphia took about three months. JOHN NUNNELY. 

I read Boston and Philadelphia type; prefer the Braille; I learned 
the alphabet in three lessons. If we had some books printed in that type, 
I would not care about the others at all. ANNA SCHMIEDEKE. 



I prefer the Braille type decidedly over all others. 

ISABELLA POINTER. 

I am well acquainted with the different types, used in this country.,, but 
I consider the Braille type the most useful which has ever been, in- 
vented for our use. We can not only use it for all languages, but, for 
keeping accounts, and for music it is impossible to speak of .too high 
praise in regard to it. FRED. NEUKOMM, 

Music Teacher. 

St. Louis, December 7th, 1865. 
Prof. Robyn : You asked us for our opinion of the Braille system, but 
we feel as though that opinion (whether good or bad) can be of very little 
consequence to the subject; for its great utility and success here ought to 
and do speak more powerfully and convey more meaning, than the most 
eloquent words, and let any who may doubt its value and importance, visit 
us in our daily exercises, and he or she will find, (as we have long since 
found,) that the Braille system is almost the entire support of the educa- 
tion of the blind, whether in the different branches, commonly used in such 
schools, or in the delightful art "music.' 1 The use of Braille in the musical 
department is to us indispensable. Instructions or compositions for any 
instrument can re written in Braille, and without it little can be done in 
any department, when compared with what can be accomplished with its 
assistance. Any institution for the education of the blind (whose direc- 
tors are working and striving for their pupils' education,) trying to woik 
out their own salvation as it were, without the all sufficient aid of the 
Braille system, may be compared to a man who unwisely undei takes to 
erect some edifice upon sandy ground without first having driven into that 
ground the substantial piles to receive and support the foundation of the 
structure. When the system was first introduced in our school, we Used 
a simple arrangement which was invented by L. Braille, a blind music 
teacher of the Institution of Paris, in France, but now we use a regular 
press with types corresponding to the letters first invented ; these types 
were made under the directions of our faithful teacher, Prof. H. Bobyn. 
The beauty and grandeur of this ingenious contrivance lie wholly in the 
simplicity of its arrangement, we have only five types, and with these we 
can form all the different musical characters, all the characters in mathe- 
matics as well as all the letters, signs and punctuations of the english 
language, so the inference may be drawn from this wbat an additional ad- 
vantage to the education of the Blind has been derived from the Braille 
system. JANE NEIL & CHRISTINA RENTZ, 

Ass't Teachers and practical Type-setters and Printers. 

Mr. Edw. P. C, one of the first instructors for the Blind in an eastern 
institution, writes as follows : 

P., December 20, 1864. 

My Dear Mr. Robyn : Your improvement is of a different kind from 
what I expected ; but I cannot express to you the pleasure with which I 
studied the picture of your devise. I certainly class your name 'among 



6 

those of the benefactors of the blind. In analyzing and dividing the type 
you have greatly simplified the composition of any work for printing, and 
have put it in the power of any blind person with but small capital, and by 
little trouble to become a publisher of books for his fellow unfortunates. 

I think that your efforts should have the effect of spreading the use of 
the point-writing among the institutions. With the facilities you have 
provided I judge that the St. Louis Institution will become the great 
centre for the publication in America of a literature in these characters. 

The Principal of the Missouri Institution in his report of 1862, says in 
regard to the Braille type : 

'■'In the prosecution of some of the studies great advantage has been de- 
rived from the use of the system of point-writing, known as the Braille 
type It is now used in this institution exclusively in music, and to a very 
great extent in spelling and etymology, as also in recording brief facts 
generally. Its advantages over any of the old systems are obvious, for it 
enables the blind freely to communicate with each other by writing, and 
to preserve in permanent form such data as may be valuable. In the pur- 
suit of some of the school duties it places them nearly on an equality with 
the seeing. The alphabet is so simple that it may be easily learned by the 
youngest and the dullest. That accomplished, it is the work of but a few 
minutes daily, for the teacher to dictate, and the pupils to print a spelling 
lesson of twenty words. These may then be studied at pleasure, as a see- 
ing child would study them, and being preserved and added to from day to 
day, they will at length furnish each pupil a copious spelling book of 
strictly home manufacture. 

So in etymology; a class of eight has already written down, or printed, 
all the prefixes and suffixes given in the usual text books on that subject, 
together with their origin of definitions. With their constantly increasing 
stock of root-words the class will soon be able to build up for themselves 
quite a multitude of derivatives. If in those two studies only, the system 
were available it would be very valuable ; but it can be employed success- 
fully in all branches where the definitions are short and the data not 
numerous. It will be a great step in the onward and upward progress of 
the blind in this country, when their books shall all be printed in this tyye. 
Speed the day ! For it can be learned so much easier in youth than the 
raised prints and read so much later in age, when the touch is becoming 
less sensitive." 

In the House of Representatives the Committee on the Blind Asylum 
(1862) has the following in regard to the Braille system : 

"In music, as well as in other studies, the so-called Braille system has 
been applied with astonishing success. Within the limits of this short 
report it is impossible to enter into a detailed description of the system; 
but we must not neglect to award our highest tribute to the intelligent 
managers, who, by their own exertions, and by the use of the Braille sys- 
tem of teaching, have made the Blind Asylum the pride of our State, an 
Institution which stands unsurpassed in this country, and can safely chal- 



lenge even the long established asylums of Europe. If the Braille method 
could be ordered to be adopted by every blind asylum in the Union, it 
would at once make a period of great progress, and would vastly benefit 
the comunity of these unfortunate blind through all the States." 

Part of the proceedings at the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the 
Missouri Institution for the Education of the Blind, held June 30th, 1863. 

Resolved: That it is with much satisfaction the Board acknowledges 
the very valuable services of the Music Teacher, mr. henry robyn in 
the department under his charge. It is to his intelligence, industry, and 
enthusiastic zeal, that it owes the introduction and successful working of 
the Braille System of reading, writing, cyphering and music for the 
blind in this Institution, which is productive of such important result in 
their education and future welfare. 

This Institution is the Pioneer of the Braille system of instruction in the 
United States and Mr. Robyn certainly deserves the honorable title of 
benefactor of the blind, and especially of this Institution vihich he has 
placed in advance of all others in this country, and elevated it to the level 
of the famous Institutions for the blind of Paris, Lausanne, Amster- 
dam, Brussels, Copenhagen and Madrid in Europe. 

FrDm the Report of 1863: „The result of the Braille type has exceeded 
all expectations. There are now nine pupils who read and write music in 
this type with great facility. Some of them have many pieces printed, of 
great value to them ; for if they forget a part of a composition they can 
easily review it. The amount of music which we have now in this type, 
if piinted for the blind in the old methods, would cost, if estimated at those 
rates, at least four hundred dollars. It is my opinion that if anything can 
make the blind independent, and in some degree take the place of their lost 
eyesight, it is this system. It has been given a fair trial, and found en- 
tirely satisfactory to every pupil who learned it. The space on which the 
music is printed is less than two-thirds of that for seeing people This 
fact alone is important, as the blind survey with their fingers, and the less 
space is to be gone over, the sooner and the easier will the work be ac- 
complished." 

From the Report made to the General Assembly by the Board of Trus- 
tees of the Institution for the Education of the Blind in 1865 : 

"Among the improvements in the means and method of education, car- 
ried forward with especial success during the last year, we may mention 
the further extension of the Braille system of writing in various depart- 
ments of education, and especially in that of music. The teacher of this 
department, Prof. Robyn, has invented and successfully used a printing- 
press for striking off copies of music pieces and of school books in Brailk. 
The invention promises to mark a new era in the education of the blind. 
By the Braille system the pupil is enabled not only to write with greater 
facility, but to read what he has written, so that he can for himself add to 
his library whatever he can transcribe from our standard literature. 



8 

But the invention of the type and press will accomplish this object with 
more rapidity and facility, and tend much to diminish the expense, and at 
the same time increase the readableness of books for the blind.'' 

From the Report of the Principal in 1865 : 

"The pupils have been attentive and studious, and their progress has 
been satisfactory in view of the fact that they are under the necessity of 
learning so much orally from want of suitable text books. They have, 
however, during the last two years supplemented these largely by printing 
from dictation in the point type of Braille. They have thus copied, point by 
point, an Arithmetic, Greene's Grammar, a Speller and Definer, Warreii's 
Physical Geography, and Lynd's Etymology, besides, in music about two 
hundred compositions. The patience and labor necessary for this can 
well be imagined. It is the old work of multiplying books by manuscript. 
To overcome this, and to duplicate copies readily had been a great desider- 
atum. The desired end has been attained by an invention at once simple 
and ingenious, the credit of which is due to Prof. Henry Robyn. It was 
found that by dividing the space allotted to a letter in the dot alphabet 
from top to bottom, the dots could be so arranged on five types, as to give 
all the necessary combinations. It will be understood, that two of these, 
side by side, form a letter. Variously arranged in pairs, they give the 
alphabet, the numerals, the punctuation points, the algebraic signs, and all 
the characters used in music. The types have been cast and the press ob- 
tained. The process of printing can hardly be more simplified. 

The blind readily learn to set type from "copy," to print, and to dis- 
tribute. It is thought that with practice they may be able to set up a page 
of the size of their printing frame now in use, seven by ten inches, in one 
hour. Two hundred impressions are easily made in one hour. 




**L 



.■»* 









t U . - 



